September 1999

By James Lawlor

Minnesota: Jesse weighs in. In a June 11 speech to the Growing Smart in Minnesota conference, Gov. Jesse Ventura sent a clear message that smart growth is a top priority of his administration. The conference also saw the release of a set of development principles, endorsed by the 25 members of the Minnesota Smart Growth Network as well as the Ventura administration, Suzanne Rhees, editor of the chapter newsletter, reports. The chapter is represented on the coalition by past president Michael Wozniak, AICP.

The principles endorsed by the network membership include encouraging development in areas with existing infrastructure or capacity; providing a mixture of land uses; making public development decisions predictable, fair, and effective; providing a variety of transportation options; conserving open space, farmland, and environmentally critical areas; and promoting the revitalization of existing urban and rural community centers.

Also called for in the report: better coordination of local planning efforts, state-level support for local planning, and elimination of laws, building code provisions, and taxation policies that encourage sprawl.

Florida: A good record. For a change the Growth Management Act was not a legislative focus. Nevertheless, the 1999 session saw the enactment of several bills of interest to planners, chapter executive director Marcia Elder reports.

A case in point is the Florida Forever bill (S.B. 908), the successor to the Preservation 2000 law. The chapter took an active role in drafting the new law, which allocates $3 billion over 10 years to acquire open space and environmentally sensitive land.

The chapter also successfully pushed for legislation that authorizes cities and counties to designate urban infill and redevelopment areas, and that provides economic and regulatory incentives for infill projects. Gov. Jeb Bush also responded to the chapter's wishes by vetoing a bill that would have restricted local governments' efforts to control urban sprawl by permitting certain development even if it was inconsistent with the local comprehensive plan.

The chapter had less luck with a proposal to place a moratorium on school impact fees and create a commission to study the fees. Ultimately, a house/senate conference committee enacted a one-year moratorium but removed the commission proposal.

California: Bill mania. Lawmakers introduced a bumper crop of planning bills—a total of almost 100—reports chapter legislative representative Sande George.

Three measures would tie the development approval process more closely to the availability of water. The chapter supports all three, with some reservations, George says. S.B 1130 would close some loopholes in the 1995 law requiring cities or towns to complete water supply assessments when adopting or amending their general plans or approving specific plans for developments of over 500 units. The new law would also broaden the number of situations in which a water assessment would be required.

A.B. 1219 attempts to integrate water supply planning and land-use planning. It would require local governments to reject subdivision plans if water authorities determine that supplies are inadequate. Local governments are not likely to accept granting veto power over the permitting process to another agency. A third measure, A.B. 1277, would require the local water agencies to set up a system of priorities to decide which developments will be served.

New Mexico: Time for reform. Chapter vice-president Lora Lucero, AICP, reports that the chapter is working on a white paper that will examine planning law reforms in other states and consider their applicability to New Mexico. The work is being carried out under a memorandum of understanding with 1000 Friends of New Mexico signed in June and with the help of a grant from APA's Divisions Council.